Many today view freedom as the absence of law. In their view laws are restrictive and confining. I recently read an article by a guy who wants to do away with the weekly cycle. He argues that it is archaic and out of step with 21st century culture, and he argues that it needs to be abolished. Evidentially, he views the weekly cycle as an impediment. My only argument with such reasoning is why stop there? Maybe we should abolish time and the 24-hour cycle? That way we can all be freed from the constraints of conventional living. The only thing is, if we decide to share lunch tomorrow afternoon, we won’t have a clue when we’re supposed to meet.
According to Merriam-Webster, a Libertarian is “a person who believes that people should be allowed to do and say what they want without any interference from government.” In their view less is more. They want less laws, less restrictions, less government interference. I find it interesting that no country or government has ever been established on Libertarian principals of governance (which I’m not sure even exist). Evidentially real freedom is dependent upon carefully crafted laws that define borders and create a system of values.
Law of Liberty
If you send your three year-old child out to play in a backyard without a fence, the danger exists that they may wander off and get hurt. So you need to watch them carefully. But if the parameter of the yard is clearly defined by a sturdy fence that depicts where the child can play, freedom reigns–without the danger of your child getting lost. In Scripture, James refers to God’s law as the law of liberty (James 2:12-13), meaning that the very laws that God established for our governance can be a source of freedom, when we invite Christ to establish them in our hearts.
The deceptive thing about freedom is that we can imagine we are free by eliminating all the external barriers that others have “Imposed,” but we still have ourselves to contend with. And being in bondage to yourself can be one of the most debilitating kinds of slavery there is.
“Jesus said, ‘I tell you most solemnly that anyone who chooses a life of sin is trapped in a dead-end life and is, in fact, a slave. A slave is a transient, who can’t come and go at will. The Son, though, has an established position, the run of the house. So if the Son sets you free, you are free through and through'” (John 8:34).
